iPlay Matchmaker
by Ashawii
Summary: Sam agrees to help Freddie impress Carly, but maybe something might happen between them along the way? Seddie. Some Creddie and a couple other small sub-pairings as well. Read it and find out. :D
1. Chapter 1

**Why is it always people randomly teaming up to get Freddie with Sam? I declare it time for change. Heh, that was lame, but you should read it anyways. [: Pleasee?**

"And we're clear!" said Freddie Benson, putting down his camera.

"Woohoo! Another iCarly done to perfection." exclaimed Sam, pushing the "applause" button on her blue remote and executing a little victory dance.

Carly laughed. "You know what that means, right?"

Sam smiled and placed a hand on Carly's shoulder. "Well, of course I do. It means your gonna go downstairs and get a "surprise" for me and Fredwad here even though we all know it's gonna be three glasses of iced tea with curly straws." She stated confidently.

"Wow. I was expecting a 'What?', but your answer was much more impressive. You know me so well." Carly said, before leaving the studio.

Carly's words stuck in Freddie's head. _You know me so well…_ Sam knew everything about Carly! Whenever Freddie needed help impressing Carly, he could just ask Sam. They were friends, right? And friends help one and other. Why hadn't he thought of this before?

"Hey Sam?" he asked the blonde cautiously, who somehow pulled ham out of nowhere and was now devouring it.

"What, nub?!" She snapped back, little pieces of ham flying everywhere.

"Your best friends with Carly, right?" he questioned slowly.

"Duh." she replied, not even bothering to look up.

"So, you like, know things about each other?" Freddie asked nervously.

Sam looked up. "Uh-huh. Benson? Is this going somewhere? 'Cuz if it is, be like a pencil sharpener and MAKE A POINT. If it's not, shut up and allow me too swallow my ham in peace, would ya?"

Freddie took a deep breath and began to explain hastily, barely breathing in between words. "Okay, Sam, here it is. I'm desperate and I really like Carly and I need someone to help me impress her and you're like the only person who really knows her other than Spence, but he is her brother, so that might be awkward and-"

His extremely long run-on sentence was cut off by Sam who simply asked "What's in it for me?"

Freddie shrugged. "Like I said, I'm desperate. I'll do anything. I mean it."

Sam rubbed her invisible-goatee and smiled deviously. "Anything?" She tested. Freddie nodded frantically, knowing he'd probably regret this later. "I want ham. Unlimited. And smoothies. Whenever I want. I say the word; you have to get it for me. And all my homework done for the rest of the semester. Deal?" Sam said, holding out her hand.

Freddie gulped. That was a lot. But this was the love of his life. He would do anything. "Deal." He said, shaking the blonde's hand.

"Okay," Freddie started "When should we meet? We need to get together and discuss some things. I have some serious questions for you, and-"

Freddie was cut off, _again_ by Sam who yelled "Meet up?! What do you mean meet up? I thought I could just tell you her favorite color and flower then I'd get my food! There is NO WAY I'm doing this!"

"Sorry Sam. You shook on it." Freddie stated, smirking and holding up the hand Sam just shook.

Sam just scowled and glared and the tech-geek, who glared right back. She hated it when stupid Freddork was right.

All of a sudden, Carly burst in to the room with a tray of red glasses with curly straws, as expected. "I'm baaaack." She sing-songed. Noticing her two silent, glaring friends, she added "What happened?"

"Nothing…" The bickering sidekicks muttered in unison, snatching their respective drinks off the tray in Carly's hand.

"Okaaay." Carly said, rolling her eyes. Sam and Freddie didn't respond. They just grumpily drank their icy drinks while both wondering the same thing. _What the heck did I just get myself into…?_

**Well, that's that. It had a TON of dialogue, right? And it had a million grammar mistakes, but most of my stories do, 'cuz I have the tendency to write at 3am and want to post it right away, despite the fact that like no one is on. And now I'm rambling. Whatever. :P Just tell me what you thought. Good? Bad? Should I continue? You tell ME! (:**

'**Til the ear rings,**

**-Ash. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**AH! You all hate me, right? I'm sorry x 100! I was gonna update like 3 weeks ago, but I had finals, play rehearsal, singing lessons, dance, ect. and I was super busy. I'm beyond sorry! Please accept this new chapter as a token of my sincerest apologies. R&R! (:**

_  
They see me mowin' my front lawn. I know they're all thinking I'm so white n' nerdy. Think I'm just too-_

Sam snatched up her phone and glanced at the display, even though her ringtone pretty much told her who was calling. Seeing the words "Princess Dorkface" flash across the screen, she immediately pressed the "ignore" button and turned her attention back to the T.V. where Savannah Montana was playing. She didn't like the show much, but it was the only thing on and she didn't really have much else to do. Carly was off with Spence buying a new toaster—he set the last one on fire, of course—and Carly didn't trust him alone with a credit card. After a few minutes of mind-numbing boredom from listening to the horribly corny T.V. jokes, Freddie busted in the front door.

"AHA!" he exclaimed, sounding like he uncovered some huge secret.

Sam stared at him with a blank expression. "Congrats dweeb, you finally figured out that it's possible to open a door without knocking. Mommy Benson will be so proud!" She stated in a monotone voice, sounding the furthest thing from congratulatory.

Freddie rolled his eyes before looking back at the blonde accusingly. "Do you have your phone with you? I called."

"Oh! Is that what that was? I thought my phone was just having a seizure. Thanks for explaining it to me." She replied sarcastically, before turning back to the T.V.

"Well, why didn't you pick up?" He asked, getting slightly frustrated.

"Because, Fredward, if you haven't noticed, I'm not a loser and I don't like associating myself with people of that kind. 'Nuff explanation for ya? Good. Now go fluff your hair or do something equally nerdy." She exclaimed, shooting him a glare.

"I'm serious, Sam! Since Carly and Spence are out, I figured it's the perfect time to get started on our little…deal thing." He explained, sounding hopeful.

Sam glanced up at the desperate brunette standing before her. At first, she wanted to tell the dork to just leave, but she felt her stomach rumble and remembered his part of the bargain. She sighed. "Fine, but we are doing at the Groovy Smoothie, where you will buy me smoothies and burgers until I explode." She said, shrugging on her jacket and walking towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder. Freddie stood frozen in place, surprised she gave in so quickly.

"Well, dork, ya coming? 'Cuz if not, I'm gonna kill you for making me get up off the couch." She stated, smirking.

Freddie smiled. His plan was actually working. If this went as planned, he'd finally get to have Carly! He nodded furiously and followed the blonde demon out the front door.

* * *

After half an hour of walking and arguing (mostly arguing), Sam and Freddie made it to the Groovy Smoothie.

Sam plopped down at a small table near the front, taking off her jacket and propping up her high-top sneakers on one of the three chairs there.

"Yo Fredderly, I'll take an extra large Strawberry Splat smoothie and two burgers." She ordered, her blue eyes lit up with the anticipation of food.

"Hey, technically I didn't promise to buy you burgers!" He countered, but after seeing the glare on Sam's face, he turned and made his way up to the neon orange counter.

He gave his order to T-Bo (who offered him kumquats, which he declined) and then stood by the counter waiting for the food to be made. He heard a loud laugh and turned to see Sam talking to a brunette boy, who Freddie recognized as a junior at Ridgeway named Evan. Sam was smiling and batting her eyes, something completely un-Samish and out of character, Freddie noticed. It was obvious Sam liked him. And it kind of seemed like her liked her back by the way he kept smiling at her. But for whatever reason, it felt…awkward watching them flirt. He tore his eyes away and continued to wait for his food, ignoring the weird feeling in his stomach. T-Bo finally gave Freddie his order, and he turned to walk back to his table only to see Evan give Sam a slip of paper before walking out the door. He watched as Sam grinned to herself and placed the paper in her pocket. She then quickly recovered, turning back to her regular bored-faced Sam. Freddie smiled; it was nice to know that there was a normal girl under that tough-kid front she put up. He walked to the table and set down the food.

"That took you long enough!" Sam complained, tearing into her first burger as if she hadn't eaten in years, when it was actually a matter of hours. It was apparent that the Sam Puckett he knew and…was friends with was back.

"Well, I'm sure you found_ something _ to do while I was gone." Freddie said, smirking and receiving a questioning look from the blonde.

Sam shrugged. "You're weird, Benson…" She mumbled, resuming eating (well, if you could call inhaling a burger "eating").

Freddie just smiled before remembering their original reason for coming here. "Okay, so, I figured that before we do anything drastic to get Carly to like me, I should try just charming her. Ya know…her favorite flowers, compliments, the works." He began, taking out a tiny notebook and golf pencil from his jacket pocket. "That's where you come in. I need you to tell me all her favorite things."

"Ummm" Sam stared out the window, where the rain was now pouring down. "She likes daisies, her favorite candy is Pit-Pat bars, and she absolutely loves the color green. She thinks guys who have messy hair are cute, so you'll have to lose the fluff-do. She prefers brunettes, lucky for you, but she doesn't mind blondes either. She likes sweet little texts randomly through the day. Her favorite food is Spaghetti Tacos and she loves Pepi Cola. Her ideal date is a movie and watching the sunset. Her favorite song is Catch Me by Cuttlefish. She thinks it's nice when a boy dresses well, but also thinks over-dressed boys are kinda weird. She cannot stand guys who gossip. She likes bad boys, artists and skaters the most, but she is opened to everything. Except maybe tortured poets…she said she wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with someone so negative. She wants a guy who will go to the mall with her and carry her shopping bags and bring her flowers for no reason. She is a HUGE romantic. She loves it when guys give her surprise visits. That enough, or do you need more?"

Freddie was astonished. He knew Sam and Carly were close, but he didn't know they talked _this much_ about that kind of stuff. He quickly scribbled down a general summary of it all and looked back at Sam.

"Nope. That's plenty. Girls talk A LOT." He said, still a bit confused. He never thought Carly talked to Sam about this stuff.

"Well, yeah. We are girls, Benson. That's what girls do." She said, her voice oozing "duh".

"Oh, umm, I didn't know that." Freddie said, feeling dumb.

"Well, now you do. You wanna head out?" Sam asked, throwing away her trash.

"Yeah." He said, tossing his own cup in the garbage and following Sam outside.

It was still raining, so they walked under the store fronts. At first, they both just listened to the rain and stayed silent.

Suddenly, Freddie turned to Sam and asked "Do all girls have tons of preferences for guys and their favorite things like that?"

"Um, yeah. Pretty much." She replied, wondering why he was so fascinated by the whole thing.

Freddie stopped walking. "Hmm…Even you?" He asked, instantly wondering why he asked it.

Sam froze and turned around. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Like what?" Freddie questioned, once again asking himself why he was dragging himself into dangerous territory.

Sam scowled. "Why does it matter?" She asking sounding slightly cold, but genuinely wanting to know why.

"I…I don't know. Curiosity, I guess…" Freddie said, sounding distant.

Sam and Freddie stared at each other. Neither of them said anything and after what felt like a million years, they turned away and continued walking. No one spoke, they just listened to the melody of raindrops hitting the store front above their heads, lost in thought.

Just as the little path of store fronts stopped and they were about to walk out in to the sprinkling rain, Sam grabbed Freddie's arm forcefully, jerking him to a stop. He shot her a confused look.

"Umm…I like sunflowers. I like guys who are always themselves, not afraid to speak their minds. Someone who will cook for me and put up with my crazy antics. I like the color brown and blue. I can't stand people who lie or cheat, as hypocritical as that is. Someone who won't judge. My favorite song is 1, 2, 3, 4 by the Plain White Tee's. My favorite candy is Twazzlers. Notes and texts are okay, but super secret messages sent in some odd way are cooler. I prefer brunettes and blondes over red heads. I need someone who will accept me. My ideal date is just doing something enjoyable, nothing fancy. I think it's cool when guys share their jackets with their girlfriends. I like guys who will watch ninja movies with me and not treat me like a guy ALL the time. I like bad boys and jocks, but I'm open to everything. Except dorks. I could NEVER date a dork." Sam said quickly and seriously (though she smirked a bit at the last part).

Freddie didn't say a word. He just stared at her.

"Happy?" She asked, a little bit of the quirky Sam coming back.

"Err, yeah. Thanks. But why did you-"He began.

Sam put her hand up, cutting him off. "Don't ask, Benson. 'Cuz truthfully, I have no idea."

Freddie smirked, staring into her blue eyes. She stared right back. Then, a big **BOOM **erupted from above, breaking the weird little stare-off that they were having. Thunder. It began to rain even harder.

"We better get back…" Freddie mumbled, flipping up his hood and preparing to run across the street and three blocks down to Bushwell Plaza.

Sam reached for her own hood, only to find it wasn't there.

"DANG!" She yelled. "I left my jacket at the Groovy Smoothie!"

"Aw, man. Well, we can't go all the way back now. We'll get it later." Freddie said.

"Okay then. Ready to run now? 3…2...-" Sam started.

"SAM! You can't run that whole way with out your hoodie; you'll get soaked and be freezing." Freddie scolded, gesturing to her shorts and short-sleeved t-shirt.

"So?" Sam asked. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Here, take my jacket. I have long sleeves." He insisted, stripping off his jacket and handing it to Sam, whose cheeks were red. Freddie was confused at first, but after a few awkward seconds of silence, it hit him.

_I think it's cool when guys share their jackets with their girlfriend._

Freddie mentally slapped himself before hastily explaining. "I didn't mean…It's just so you won't get cold…I don't-"

Sam chuckled. "I get it, dork. Strictly for warmth. Let's just go before it starts raining harder." She said pushing her arms through the too-big sleeves and pulling the hood over her blonde curls.

"Race?" Freddie asked. Sam nodded. "Okay, in 5…4…3…2…GO!"

Sam laughed at the web show reference then sprinted across the street, splashing water everywhere as she sped through puddles. Sam glanced at Freddie, who was surprisingly fast. They continued running and as they got closer to Bushwell Plaza, the dweeb began to advance on her. She could NOT lose to the dork. She skillfully stuck out her foot and successfully managed to trip little Fredwina. Unluckily for her, Freddie saw what was coming and grabbed her arm taking her down as well. The duo crashed to the ground, landing in a huge mud puddle and getting completely soaked. The two remained quiet as first, but as soon as they caught a glimpse of each other's mud streaked faces and wet hair they cracked up. To people passing by, they looked like two lunatics, laughing manically while sitting in a mud puddle in the pouring rain, but they couldn't care less. They declared it a tie and began to walk back to Bushwell Plaza, not even caring about the rain anymore because they were already wet, freezing and dirty anyways. They walked through the lobby, not even noticing Lewbert's bellowing about the "NO muddy adolescents in his lobby" rule, too busy laughing and recapping their race. When they made it to the eighth floor they were greeted by a shill voice.

"FREDDIE!" Shrieked , running to him. "Where have you been? And why are you all muddy?! What have I told you about dirt?"

"Chill, lady. Freddie and I were just at the Groovy Smoothie and on the way home we got caught in the-" Sam started, but she got cut off by .

"You too, young lady! Now, you two listen to me. You get inside right now. Shower and change out of those wet clothes. Sam, you can use the guest bathroom. Make sure to get all the dirt off and use lots of soap. " She ordered. When she got blank stares she added an additional "NOW!!" The two sprung to life and did as they were told.

By the time they were all clean and changed (Freddie gave Sam a pair of old pajama pants, last year's AV Club shirt and one of his hoodies, again, strictly for warmth), it was 9:30PM, so naturally, Sam was hungry. had already gone to sleep (she needs her full 10 hours!), so they just made popcorn. Just as they were about to dig in, there was frantic knocking at the door. Freddie open the door and in shot Carly, pacing back and forth, talking half to herself and half to Freddie.

"Have you seen Sam? Where is she? Is she okay? I hope she's okay. What if she isn't?! Where is she? Why won't she answer her phon-" She said, barley breathing in between words.

"Calm down, Carls! She's right here!" Freddie exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to where Sam was standing. Sam raised her hand as if to say "hey".

Carly froze for a second before running up to her best friend and hugging her, then stepping back and punching her unforcefully in the arm. "What's wrong with you?! I was freaked out and…Are you wearing Freddie's clothes?" She asked, looking a bit shocked.

"Uhh, yeah, I got all wet…and um….Ms.B made me" Sam mumbled, flushing a deep red.

"I don't even want to know what you did to get soaked…" Carly said, shaking her head.

They laughed and decided to take the popcorn over to Casa de Shay's and watch Attack of the Ninja Fries II.

They all settled on the couch and watched as fried pieces of military trained potatoes kicked the butts of innocent civilians of the infamous Healthy Town. But, as usual, it got late and Carly fell asleep first, leaning on the back of the couch. Next was Freddie, who drifted slowly to sleep leaning against the armrest. Sam stayed awake through the whole movie and just as the credits began to roll, her eyes started to flutter shut. She leaned over rested her head on the nearest thing to her, which was Freddie's shoulder. _Pretty comfy, for a dork_, she thought. Suddenly, Freddie shifted under her, so her head was on his chest. Sam's eyes shot open and she held her breath, hoping he wouldn't wake up. Luckily, all he did was mumble incoherently before returning to silence. Sam allowed her eyes drift closed again, thinking about the events of the day. _Maybe this deal wasn't such a bad thing_, she wondered, just before falling asleep.

**Ehhh, not as good as I hoped… :/ Whatever! What did YOU think? That's what really matters. (:**

'**Til the fire escapes,**

**Ash. (x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, seriously? This is the 68****th**** time I've posted this chapter. I have been trying to post this since January, but every time I do, it shows up for a second, then as soon I refresh the page, it disappears. Annoying, I know. So again, for like the 68****th**** time, if anyone, anyone at all, can see this, please let me know! Review or PM me or something! I don't care if you send a friggin' carrier pigeon. Just somehow, let me know. PLEASE. Oh, and read this chapter! It's got a super secret Easter-egg type message hidden inside the story. If you think you've found it, post about, then I'll reveal what it is when I post the next chapter. I'm not sure if it's really obvious or not, but I guess I'll find out soon (hopefully)! It's long-ish and not as good at I planned, but whatever. :]**

**BRRRRR…BRRRR.** Carly grumbled and let her eyes open, searching for the source of the noise. Her eyes settled on a cell phone, which was vibrating on the coffee table. She glanced over at her friends, only to find them…intertwined. Sam was sleeping on Freddie's chest, her hands gripping his shirt tightly. Freddie had his arms wrapped around Sam's midsection, looking rather…peaceful. Carly stared in shock for a minute before remembering the ringing phone.

"Guys. GUYS! Wake up, someone's phone is ringing," she whispered, shaking them slightly.

Freddie's eyes fluttered open and he tried to sit up, only to discover a blonde demon in his arms. His eyes widened and he immediately unwrapped his arms from her torso and shot up, causing Sam to wake up as well. Her eyes opened slowly and as soon as she realized what she was doing, she released her grip on Freddie, shooting him a look of death, as if it was his fault she fell asleep on him.

"Hey, um, someone's phone was going off…" Carly said, pointing to the PearPhone on the table, which had stopped ringing.

Sam saw her phone on the coffee table and flipped it open. The screen said she had one missed call. She checked the number, but she didn't recognize it.

"Hey, you know a 733-343-3382?" Sam asked.

Freddie and Carly both shook their heads. Sam shrugged and pressed redial. After a couple of rings, someone answered.

"Hello?" a deep, male voice answered.

"This is Sam. Who are you?" Sam demanded.

"Oh, hey, Sam! It's Evan. Remember, we, uh, exchanged numbers at the Groovy Smoothie?" Said the voice, sounding uncertain.

Sam's eyes widened.

"Who is it?" Carly asked excitedly.

"It's Evan!" Sam mouthed back. Carly squealed and pressed her ear against the phone. Even Freddie scooted a bit closer to listen.

"Umm, Sam? You still there?" Evan asked.

"Uh, yeah! …So, uhh, why'd you call?" Sam questioned, her voice trembling.

"I was just wondering if maybe we could hang out sometime. You know, if you want to. It doesn't have to be a date or anything…we could just hang out. Maybe in a group…" Evan said, sounding just as scared as Sam.

"Yes!" Sam said eagerly.

"Really?" Evan practically yelled, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah!" Sam said, smiling. Then, remembering her and Freddie's deal, she added "In fact, we could go to B.F. Wangs tomorrow with Carly and Freddie? Sound good?"

Carly slapped her arm repetitively, but Sam ignored it.

"Carly and Freddie?" Evan repeated, sounding puzzled "Are they like…a couple?"

"Uh, something like that. So, pick me up at seven at Bushwell Plaza?" Sam said hurriedly.

"Yeah! Can't wait. Bye, Sam." Evan exclaimed.

"Bye!" Sam said, before hanging up. Sam set her phone down, expecting to be attacked by Carly.

Sure enough, right on cue, Carly screamed "WHAT THE HECK, SAM?"

"What?" Sam answered, trying to seem innocent. She decided to use the "I'm nervous" card (even though she really was kind of nervous).

"I'm NOT dating Freddie!" She yelled, before throwing a "No offense" look to Freddie, who nodded.

"Come on, Carly! It doesn't have to be real. It can be a fake date. Please, Carls! I can't do this alone and it was the first thing I could think of. This stuff rarely happens to me and I really want to have you there to help me out because I really like him and I don't want to screw this up! I'd do the same for you. Please Carly, please?" Sam pleaded, widening her blue eyes, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

After a couple of seconds of pouting, Carly gave in, as usual. She was typically very stubborn, but when things came to helping out her troubled, quixotic best friend, she was a pushover.

"Fine." She cried, falling backwards onto the couch dramatically.

"Thank you!" Sam responded sweetly.

"Do I get a say in this whole thing?" Freddie, who had remained practically silent throughout the whole ordeal, questioned.

Both girls turned to him and glared.

"We both know you'd trade your left arm for a date with Carly, even if it is fake, so don't even bother trying to make it sound like your not in Heaven right now. Just take it as a blessing, dude, 'cuz the chances of this happening again and are about one to...NEVER. Okay?" Sam snapped.

Carly threw him an apologetic smile before flopping back down on the couch. However, once Carly wasn't looking Sam threw him a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile and mouthed, "You owe me big time, Benson".

Freddie smiled. "Yeah, you guys are right. So, I'll meet at your place at…6:50ish, Carls?"

Carly grumbled a yes from her spot on the couch. After a good 4 minutes of sheer awkward silence, Carly got up.

"I got to get going. Spence is probably in some sort of trouble by now." She declared before sauntering out the front door.

"YES!" Freddie exclaimed the second Carly was outside the apartment, "Thank you so much, Sam! You're right, I owe you big time!" He then executed a little hop-dance thing of victory.

Sam busted out laughing. "Wow, Benson, you're the biggest dork I've ever met."

Freddie froze, mid-hop. "Hey now, there's no need to judge!"

Sam continued to giggle. "Oh, okay." She replied sarcastically. Making a quick decision, she added "However, speaking of needs, you NEED to take me to the Groovy Smoothie. NOW. I'm starving!"

Freddie's brow furrowed "Right now? But we're wearing our pajamas!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, so?" Sam retorted, becoming impatient. "It's not like we'll get in trouble."

"I know it's just…it's weird, right? I mean, you look fine, but I'm a guy…" Freddie explained. When he got no answer, he glanced up at Sam who, for some reason, had pink cheeks and looked a bit distant. "Um? Hello? You okay?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"…Um, yeah. I was just…never mind. Come on, Fredhead! You made a deal. You have to take me!" She reminded him.

"Ay, los trofeos!" He cried, making no sense. "Let's go then, I guess." He said, raising his arms slightly in defeat.

"SWEET!" Sam yelled, pumping her fist and following the pouting techie out the front door.

--:--

The sky was clear and blue, a rare treat in Seattle, so they took their time walking. It was quiet for a while, not really awkward or uncomfortable like earlier, but more peaceful. They just walked side by side, observing the scene around them. It was actually kind of…nice.

After a while, a bit of conversation began to come up, but just common things, like iCarly bits, evil teachers and theories on how Gibby could have possibly gotten a older, pretty, _normal_ girl to be his girlfriend. They laughed and talked and it felt as if they were almost friends.

When they finally got to the Groovy Smoothie, they ordered their smoothies and decided to walk to the Ridgeway Park, which was just a block or so away, to enjoy the once-in-a-blue-moon Seattle sunshine.

They walked down the sidewalk in silence, both of them gazing ahead to where the busy park was already in view. Freddie chuckled to himself, remembering the old days, when Spencer, and even Sam's mom, Sarah, would take the three of them down to the park to play all day. Even back then, Sam, who was a tiny little thing, would bully Freddie mercilessly.

"What are you giggling about, dork?" Sam asked, laughing a bit at the goofy smile spread across his face.

"Nothing! I was just thinking about all the time we spend at the park when we were little…you were a sinister little kid, you know that?" He said, shooting her his signature smirk.

"Yeah, and you were a dorky little wimp…oh, wait. Nothing's changed!" She exclaimed, returning the smirk.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad." He retorted.

Sam shot him a look. "You had a pants protector, so your pants wouldn't get dirty on the slide." She stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, who am I kidding? I was the dweebiest kid around!" He admitted, running his fingers through his dark, fluffy hair.

"Still are!" Sam exclaimed, flicking his nose. Freddie punched her playfully on the shoulder.

"Hey, but don't worry, Fredward, acceptance is the first step to overcoming it! You're making your way." She cooed, patting him on the head as if he were a toddler who just took his first steps.

"Whoa, now! All this confidence coming from Miss Sam Four Eyes? You don't think I forgot, did you?" Freddie teased, making his way to the swings and plopping down on one. He patted the swing next to him, motioning for Sam to sit.

Sam groaned and her face flushed red, as she sat down on the swing, making swirls in the sand below with the toe of her shoe. "I hated those stupid glasses! They were so thick and…" She mumbled trailing off, searching for an appropriate word.

"Hideous?" Freddie joked, flashing her a smile.

Sam nudged him in the ribs, a bit too hard to be playful, but Freddie was used to it.

"Watch it, Benson! Or maybe I'll have to pour sand in your head, like the old days!" She warned, reaching for the sand that surrounded the swing set.

"Bring it, Puckett!" He teased, leaning close to her face. "I dare you." he whispered.

Sam took a tiny pinch of sand and flicked in into his open eyes, which were just inches from hers. _Hmm, that's what he gets for trying to be all confident and cool._

His eyes scrunched closed and he straightened up and blindly reached for some sand behind him. "That's it!" he yelled "Prepare to be pummeled, Puckett".

The two launched into a full-blown sand fight, complete with sand-forts and sneak attacks. They were lost in "battle" until suddenly a familiar voice rang out.

"Hey guys, there you are!" Sam and Freddie both froze and searched for the source of the voice. The looked behind them to see Carly walking up to them, a couple shopping bags around her thin wrists and worry plastered across her face. Spencer sat in his tiny, red car behind her at the curb.

"Sam, I've been looking all over for you! We need to pick your date outfit. I was going to take you shopping, but your didn't answer your phone, so I went without you." She explained, gesturing to the bags. "No worries though, I got some things I thought you might like!"

"Oh, sorry. I was just occupied, I guess." Sam said quietly, getting up and brushing herself off.

"Oh, it's fine. I was going to ask if you wanted to come over, so we can try on some stuff, but if you and Freddie are busy, I don't want to interrupt…"

Freddie, who was still sitting in the sand, sprung up and exclaimed "NO! Um, I mean, nope. Nothing going on here. I just got really bored, so I came to the park and Sam happened to be here, too. We were just messing around, no big deal."

Sam's stomach dropped. _No big deal._ The phrase repeated in her head like a catchy Cuttlefish song. For some reason, she didn't like the sound of that. She knew that she and Freddie didn't have the best relationship, but no big deal? She thought she meant more to him then that. She had practically spent the past two days with him, for Ham's sake! But apparently not. _Whatever. _She thought, rage building up inside her. _He's a stupid nub, anyways. Why do I even care? _She gritted her teeth._ You know what? I don't care._

Noticing Sam's saddened expression and grimace, Freddie backtracked "No! Sam, I didn't mean-"

"No." Sam said, cutting him off with an eerily calm voice. "He's right. It was nothing. Let's go, Carls. I guess I could use the help getting ready. Bye, Freddie." She pivoted around and led the way to Spencer's car, a slightly confused Carly behind her. They got in the car, and Spencer asked if Freddie needed a ride home, but he said he wanted to walk.

As they sped off, Carly began to retell the story of her and some cute sales clerk at the mall, but Sam was too distracted to notice. She and Freddie had been getting along so well. She had thought maybe they were even becoming friends, and growing out of frienemies stage, which was actually kind of cool. She loved picking on him, but a girl could only take so much bickering (not that she'd ever admit that). It felt good to have someone to just relax and hang out with, other then Carly. But apparently, this was just for the deal to Freddie. He was only kind to her so she'd help him win his dream girl. In fact, if he weren't getting information out of this, he probably wouldn't even bother talking to her any more than necessary.

_Well, then _Sam decided mentally. _If that's what this is, then fine._

She'd just treat him normal from now on. She would occasionally tease him and torture him and forget any progress she'd thought they had made. Plus, she didn't even have time to dwell on something that didn't matter. She had a date to prepare for.

Satisfied with her conclusion, Sam tuned Carly back in.

"…And then as I was leaving he winked at me! How cute is that!?" She squealed.

Sam faked a laugh and agreed, as if she had been listening to the whole story. She kind of wished she had listened. But, for some unknown reason, couldn't get a certain brunette techie out of her head. Something in the back of her mind was constantly ticking, like a broken clock. Wondering, dying to find the solutions to her unanswered question. _WHY you care what he thinks of you so much? Just because he's male? Or because you might be friends with Freddie and the thought of you just being 'no big deal' to him actually hurts your feelings? Or for some other reason you're unaware of?_

It was a bit too much to handle. She had much important things to worry about. So, Sam tried her best to push away the thoughts and just continue as usual. But, despite her best efforts, she could still feel that constant tick, in her head. All through dinner, clothes and make up experimenting with Carly, and even as she settled down to get some sleep before the big day, she couldn't shake the curiosity. Now she was getting frustrated. She squeezed her eyes shut. _What is wrong with me? I never care what others think!_ _Why did I suddenly care about someone's opinion? And why Freddork's, of all people? _She began to think of a reason of some sort that made this all make sense. But nothing did. So, Sam did the two things Puckett's do best; she pushedaway all her thoughts and emotions and locked them up somewhere inside her, then went to sleep.

**Hey homo sapiens! Whaddya think? Review, please! Ooh, and just a random question for you to answer: What's your favorite book? Why? Hmm, that's about it! :] Have a nice day.**

'**Til the fire places,**

**Ash! **

**PS- And, a new thing, the more reviews I get, the faster I update, okaaay?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey humans! Here' s the next chapter. It's kinda long. Ehh, I don't like it much because it sounds sooo cliché, but I did the best I could. Sorry to disappoint!**

**EDIT: Ah! I forgot to say this: This story is as if iSaved Your Life and iThink They Kissed never happened.**

OW! Screeched Sam, blinking furiously and whipping the eyelash curler out of Carly's dainty hands. "Hey, Carls, how 'bout we DON'T rip off my eyelids! This is already torture enough!" She said gesturing to the clear gloss Carly had swiped across Sam's lips moments before.

"Come on, Sam! You have so much to work with and you won't even let me!" Carly pouted, even stomping her foot for effect. "Now, I'm following your little rules, so you HAVE to do what I say. So, close your eyes again, please."

Sam sighed and grumpily obeyed. It was true. Carly was following the rules. They weren't extreme; they were just to help keep her…Samness, unlike last time. It was pretty simple: No bright eye shadow, curly hair only, no fancy jewelry, no lipstick (_gloss doesn't count!_ Carly had countered), no ruffles and under any circumstances, NO PINK. See? Not that bad. And Carly had done exceptionally good getting Sam ready, despite the strict boundaries. So far, she had glossified Sam's blonde hair, making it less unruly, so it cascaded down her shoulders flawlessly, put a tiny bit of makeup on her (black eyeliner, mascara, light gold eye shadow and a bit of blush), painted her nails black, and dressed her in black Uggs, a denim skirt and a emerald long sleeve v-neck with a scarf (all borrowed from Carly, of course). It was perfect. Cute, but not too fancy. It would keep her warm and, most of all, it didn't turn her into a flowery little petunia. It kept her 100% Puckett.

After a couple more minutes of finishing touches, Carly took a step back. _Wow. _She thought._ My best friend is beautiful. _Carly must've been staring because Sam shot her a funny look.

"What?" She asked, turning to the mirror.

Once she caught a glimpse of her reflection, her eyes widened. She saw herself, but not her usual boyish, mismatched self. She was actually…proud of her reflection, for once. Sam had always known she wasn't hideous, but she was never confident with how she looked. She had always masked her insecurity with a cocky "I'm better than everyone" attitude and a promise to rip off the limbs of anyone who even thought about putting her down. Now, as cheesy as it sounds, she didn't feel the need to be SO angry. I mean, she was still Sam. She still felt the need to play pranks, be carefree, and annoy innocent nubs, but she didn't feel the need to be so defensive. And truthfully, it felt sort of good.

Sam turned around and flung her arms around her best friend.

"Thank you for everything." Sam mumbled into Carly's shoulder.

Carly smiled as she squeezed her blonde almost-sister back. _A thank you?_ She thought. _I must've really done well. _For those who know Sam well, know she didn't give praise to others often or easily, and so even a tiny "thank you" was a pleasant surprise.

**KNOCK KNOCK.** Sam and Carly's little moment was interrupted by a familiar bang at the door.

"Freddie's here!" She squealed. "Almost time for Evan to pick you up! Come on!" She exclaimed, before running out of the room to go answer the room, gesturing for Sam to follow.

As soon as Carly was out of the room, Sam wiped off the clear gloss on Carly's bed sheet before trudging down the stairs. Carly had just opened the door and there stood the Dorkmaster himself, Fredemame Benson, looking rather…_un_dorkish in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white collared shirt, a loose tie and holding a couple of white daisies wrapped in green tissue paper. Hearing her on the stairs, he glanced up at Sam, then looked back at Carly without even the slightest reaction to Sam's new appearance, making Sam feel a bit disappointed. _Maybe I don't look that great. If even a nerd like Freddie doesn't notice me, how am I supposed to believe a hottie like Evan will? _She sighed. _Maybe this while thing was stupid…_ Then, registering what he saw, his head whipped back around to Sam, who had noticed his little double take and flushed pink. _There's the reaction. _Sam thought, slightly embarrassed. Carly giggled, causing Sam's light pink cheeks to now glow red. Freddie's eyes remained fixed on the transformed Sam, which somehow made her uncomfortable.

"Fredward, keep staring and you'll wake up without your internal organs, got it?" She snapped, removing him from his little trance. Now it was Freddie's turn to blush.

"Oh, yeah, sorry…" He mumbled, feeling the crimson creeping up his neck.

Sam ignored him, continued down the stairs and plopped down on the couch.

Freddie just stood there, internally scolding himself for being so embarrassing. Hoping to make up for his awkwardness, he glanced up at Carly and held out the flowers.

"Erm…these are for you. I know our date isn't real, but I wanted to get you a little something. I hope you like them." He explained hastily.

Carly smiled and took the flowers. "Thanks, Freddie. That's so sweet!" She said sounding genuinely grateful, before turning around to go put the flowers in a vase.

Freddie brightened. _YES! Things are going well. _He glanced over at Sam who was still staring at the TV with a barely-existing smirk. He stared at her. _Carly did an amazing job. Sam looks really…nice. _He thought to himself, feeling a little odd for thinking that last part, even if it was just in his head. Suddenly, as if reading his mind, Sam snapped her attention away from the television and to Freddie. Freddie, caught a bit off guard, just gaped at her. Sam shook her head, gestured at Carly (who was busy in the kitchen, putting the flowers in water) and mouthed "You're welcome, nub." before turning back to the T.V.

Freddie rolled his eyes. _I'm not a nub! Why does she call me stupid names! It's immature. That girl is so- _Freddie's thoughts were cut off by a gentle knock at the door.

Sam sprung up from the couch, eyes wide with panic. "I'll be right back!" she whisper-hissed, before running up the stairs.

"Sam!" Carly yelled, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Freddie, go get her, I'll deal with Evan!"

Freddie shook his head "Why me?!"

Carly sighed. "Because, Freddie, you are her friend and having you and Evan standing around would be really uncomfortable. Plus, you're the only one who could pin her down if necessary! Now go!" She demanded, nudging him toward the stairs. Freddie sighed and bounded up the stairs.

Carly took a deep breath, smoothed down her turquoise dress and open to door to reveal a timid Evan, looking adorable in a dress shirt, tie and holding red carnations.

"Oh, uh, hey Carly. Is S-Sam here?" He asked glancing around.

"Yes, she is just finishing getting ready. And quit worrying, you'll be fine." Carly said, smiling.

-:-

Freddie looked everywhere. He checked Carly's room, Carly's bathroom, Carly's closet, the guestroom, and even the room Spencer used to keep his art stuff and half finished sculptures, but Sam wasn't to be found. All that was left was the iCarly studio. Freddie neared to door, unsure of what to do or say when he got in there. He peeked through the glass. Sam was sitting on a beanbag, her back facing him and her head down. Freddie took a breath. He wasn't sure what to expect. Would she be angry? Or sobbing? He was terrified. He knocked softly on the door, and then proceeded with caution into the studio. He walked up behind her and she made no movement what so ever.

"Sam?" He asked nervously.

"What?!" She exclaimed, turning to face him and shoving something in her pocket.

Freddie's curiosity got the best of him. "What was that?" He questioned, pointing to her pocket.

"None of your bees butts, Fredweird! Now leave me alone before I shred you to pieces and feed you to Frothy!" She yelled, standing up.

"No! I, umm, I just c-came to tell you Evan was here." He explained, stepping back and putting up his arms.

He expression softened. "I know." She said, sinking back into the beanbag, her head facing the floor again.

Freddie considered running off while his body was still in tact, but his conscience made him turn around and sit down next to her.

"What's wrong, Sam?" He asked, really wanting to know.

She looked up. "Nothing I'm just not in the mood to…" She trailed off after seeing the "not buying it" look Freddie was giving her. Then, Sam Puckett, for the first time in her life, gave in to the nub. "I'm just nervous, okay? I haven't really been on a date in a guy I like in a while. I'm afraid he'll be like Jonah…or something…" She practically whispered.

Freddie was shocked, Sam never told Freddie about her insecurities. She was typically so strong and tough. He has never seen this side of her. _This is cool. Sam must really trust me to tell me- _His thoughts were cut off again.

"I'm only telling you this because Carly's not here! And I swear, if you tell a single soul any of this, I'll beat you until every inch of you is bleeding. Every. Inch." She threatened, her face just inches from his.

Freddie nodded, not moving away and staring into her eyes.

"So…Tell me what to do, Fredweenie" Sam asked quietly, moving her face even closer.

"Y-you should, uh, just be yourself. You have nothing to worry about. I m-m-mean…he asked you out for a reason. He obviously likes you." Freddie stuttered, wondering why Sam's face was so close to his and, more importantly, why he wasn't pulling away.

Sam nodded, considering what he said. "Hm, thanks loser…We should probably get back down..." She began, but the sound of someone coming up the stairs caused her to stop mid-sentence and spring away from Freddie as if he just told her there was a bomb in her beanbag chair. Freddie, dazed and confused, stayed put, his eyes wide and blinking at the spot where Sam had just been sitting. Sam adjusted her skirt and ran her fingers through her hair, as if that whole…whatever that was hadn't happened. Within seconds, Evan and Carly walked into the studio.

"There she is!" Carly said sweetly, gesturing to Sam, who smiled shyly. When Evan turned and walked toward Sam to give her the flowers, Carly grabbed Freddie's arm and yanked him up off the beanbag, breaking the little spell he seemed to be under.

"What is wrong? What happened? Is she okay?!" Carly whisper-yelled. Freddie looked at Sam. She had completely returned to normal and was chatting with Evan, excited smiles occupying both of their faces. He shook his head, trying to erase the memory of whatever just happened. _It's dumb _He told himself. _That was nothing. She was just nervous so she was acting weird…_ Truthfully, he wasn't even sure what he was trying to convince himself.

"Umm, yeah." Freddie reassured, looking back at an anxious Carly "She's fine. Just a tad bit nervous. It's all good now, though."

"Good. I know she really likes him, so I want this date to be perfect." Carly said, dazing at the two of them laughing and talking.

Freddie smiled. "Umm, yeah. Me too!" He agreed, not sure if he really meant it or not.

-:-

"Hahahahahaha! Oh, my-are you SERIOUS?! Spencer said, unable to control his laughter.

Carly grimaced. She had the worst luck. They decided to go down and head out to B.F. Wang's at the same time Spencer was coming home form Socko's house. They ran in to him in the lobby. Of course, they had to explain where they were going in such "fanciful attire" as Spencer put it. And as soon as the words "Freddie and I are going out" came out of Carly's mouth, Spencer couldn't stop laughing at the impossibility of the whole thing.

"Uh. Yes, Spencer. Freddie and I are dating." She said sternly.

"HAHA, good one Carls! But there is no way! You've been turning him down since you guys were like, 5! Hahahaha!" Spencer continued, unaware of Sam and Carly's glares, Freddie's pure look of shock and Evan's confused frown.

"NO, Spencer. Carly finally saw the flaw of her ways. Freddie and Carly are dating! Okay?" Sam yelled, shooting him a look of pure death. Spencer's smile faded.

"Oh…You're serious? Ooh, sorry Freddie. No hard feelings, okay? Well, don't die tonight! Bye, Niblets!" He said before running off as fast as possible.

"Niblets?" Evan repeated, sounding a bit frightened.

Sam, Freddie and Carly just shrugged. "We aren't exactly sure what's wrong with him…" Freddie explained.

Evan just smiled weakly and, they made their way out the door of Bushwell without another word. They were walking to B.F. Chang's because it was only a couple blocks away. After walking for a couple minutes in silence, Evan finally built up enough courage to say something.

"So, um, I watch iCarly. It's really cool. Is it fun to make it?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Sam replied, ecstatic the silence was gone. "It's one of my favorite things to do. Beside eat. And sleep, of course."

He laughed. "Really? I love doing those, too. Except the iCarly part, obviously." He said, smiling a bit.

"What else do you like to do?" Sam questioned, trying to keep the conversation alive.

"I like to watch movies, nothing beats a great comedy. Uhh, I play lacrosse. Oh! And I love just walking around town. I don't need much to keep me entertained." He said, now looking Sam in the eye.

"Me too! I mean, some people need tons of things to entertain them, but I'm pretty simple. I'm fine with just hanging out. I don't need anything fancy. You know what I mean?" Sam said animatedly.

"Exactly! It's like, who needs all that excess stuff? Just keep things easygoing! Not boring, but easygoing. Go with the flow, ya know." He said, chuckling lightly at his unintentional rhyme.

Carly smiled as Sam and Evan continued to chat. Finally, they were hitting it off. She nudged Freddie, who seemed a bit distant, and gestured toward Sam and Evan.

"Cute, isn't it?" She asked quietly, sounding proud.

"Yeah!" He agreed, meaning it. Sam and Evan were great together. Freddie wasn't sure why he ever doubted it. That whole thing with Sam earlier was just a weird little exchange that didn't matter. Why would it? It's not like she liked him. And he didn't like her either. Freddie liked Carly and Sam liked Evan. That's just how it was. It was obvious! After starting up a little conversation, Sam and Evan were locked in their own little world. Not that Freddie minded. Actually, it was perfect, now that the others were occupied; he was free to woo Carly. The girl of his dreams.

"So, Carls. Today I was listening to my favorite song, Catch Me, and I-" Freddie began.

"By Cuttlefish? I love that song!" Carly exclaimed.

"Really? Me too." Freddie said, smiling. _This is totally working_ He added in his head.

"Mine, too! But, continue." Carly told him.

"Yeah, so I was listening to it and for some reason, I got this crazy idea to change my hair. I was thinking of maybe going with a messy-do? Whaddya think?" He asked, pretending like he didn't already know the answer.

"Oh! I love guys with messy hair. It's so cute. I definitely think you should do that." Carly decided.

"I thought you might say that." Freddie stated, smirking. _Operation Get-Carly-To-Finally-Love-Me in action. …Wow, even my Operation names are lame…. _

**So? Thoughts? Opinions? TELL ME! I'm open to everything, even haters. :) OH, and the "secret message" in the last chapter was the phone number. It spelled out "Seddie 4Evr" or something along the lines of that. Haha. Not very obvious. Anyways, read and rate, por favor! Me gusta mucho. ;) **

'**Til the shoe laces,**

**Ash.**

**PS- I already have whole next chapter ready because I was originally going to post it as one chapter, but it was uber long, so I broke it into two. If you guys review a lot, I'll post it soon. Like, today! :D Just review. It's so easy, yet it brings so much joy to a young heart. Do the deed.**

**PPS- If anything in the story confuses you, let me know. I write a little odd sometimes. Don't be shy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**You guys reviewed, so I'm updating again! Thanks for that, it really makes me happy. I apologize for that lame last chapter, and I hope this makes up for it!**

**REMEMBER: This story is as if iThink They Kissed and iSaved Your Life never happened,**

When they got to B.F. Chang's, both couples were deep in their conversation, so not much changed. There wasn't much interaction between the two groups, but it was all right because everyone was just too occupied to notice. They were so occupied that when the waiter came to tale their drink orders, no one even paid attention to him. He cleared his throat three times before Sam finally looked up.

"Dude." She said, annoyed. "Can you quit doing that?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Miss, but I need your tables drink orders." The waiter said, just as irritated.

"Oh, alright then, I'll have a Dr. Salt." Sam said.

'I'll take one, too!" Evan exclaimed, smiling.

"Um, I'll have a Grape Soda, and she'll take a Peppy Cola." He said, gesturing to Carly.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Announced the waiter, closing his order book and walking off.

While Sam and Evan launched into a brand new conversation about their mutual soda tastes, Carly turned to Freddie.

"Wow, I'm impressed. How'd you know?" She questioned, sounding pleased.

"Come on, Carls. I'm your best friend. I know everything." He stated confidently.

"Oh, really?" She joked, "Let's just see…Favorite candy?"

"Pit-Pat Bars." He replied, a knowing smiled appearing.

"Favorite food?" She tested.

"Oh, easy. Spaghetti Tacos, of course." Freddie teased, leaning closer, deciding to do what Sam did earlier because, even thought she may not have meant it to, it mesmerized him beyond belief.

"Hmmm, okay. Favorite color?" She interrogated.

"Green. Duh." He said, leaning even closer, so their noses were less than a centimeter away.

Carly and Freddie froze, staring into each other's eyes. This caught Sam attention. She broke off her conversation with Evan mid-sentence, turning to glance at her two best friends. Evan turned to see what she was staring at. After watching for a couple of seconds, with no one moving, the waiter came back with their drinks. He set them on the table, breaking the weird little moment.

"Umm…" Carly said, unsure of what to do next. "We should order."

"Uh, yeah." Freddie agreed, his cheeks burning.

They all gave their respective orders and sat around awkwardly, making small talk within the group and avoiding eye contact, until the waiter returned with their food. They all quickly ate their food and paid, so they could get alone with their dates for some much-needed alone time during the walk back.

The two groups spilt up, Carly and Freddie walking at least 10 feet behind Sam and Evan. This was much nicer, as this way the couples could return to their own little worlds without the burden to converse with the others.

Carly and Freddie walked along, chatting quietly about the beautiful stars and the fun night, totally avoiding the subject of their almost kiss. For some reason, they both just knew right now wasn't the time to discuss it.

Sam and Evan however, walked along almost silently, arms swinging very close until all of a sudden, something wrapped around Sam's hand. Something big and strong. She stopped in her tracks.

She lifted up their intertwined hands. "Ooh, playing Mr. Smooth Guy now aren't we?" She asked smirking.

"Well, if you want me to let go…" He teased, loosening his grip.

"No!" She blurted, tightening her fingers around his.

He smirked. "That's what I thought." He said. "And hey, I spent like 10 minutes psyching myself up to do that, so be grateful I found the guts."

"Wow, you are such a nub!" Sam said, laughing.

"A what?" Evan asked, slight confusion showing on his face.

"…A nerd. I said that you're a nerd." Sam whispered.

"Oh, okay then. But seriously, we should do this again. Maybe alone. 'Cuz I really liked hanging out with you tonight. Everything. The talking, the laughing, the hand holding." Evan said, swinging their arms a little.

Sam smiled. He liked her. He really liked her. On a sudden boost of confidence, she made a decided to take a headfirst dive.

"What about the kissing?" Sam asked, walking in front of him and turning around to face him, still holding his hand.

Evan looked shocked. "We didn't…I-I-I don't think we ever actually…um…" He stuttered.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Oh…OH!" Evan exclaimed, getting it.

He smiled, but made no movement, so she whispered the only thing she knew to say, "Well, lean."

And he did.

-:-

"I wonder how many stars there actually are?" Carly wondered aloud, glancing up and she ambled along the dark sidewalk.

"Well saying millions would be an understatement. I mean, according to…" Freddie said before getting cut off.

"EEP! He just grabbed her hand!" Carly squealed, pointing to Evan and Sam.

"Um, cool?" Freddie said. Seeing the look her got from Carly, he added "Sorry Carls, but guys just don't find that an engaging topic of discussion…"

"SHH! They're stopping! Should we listen? Or is that being a bad friend?" She asked frantically, not noticing how close they were to Sam and Evan.

"Shush, Carly! They'll hear you!" Freddie said, grabbing her arm and pulling her off to the left of the sidewalk, where trees hid them.

"Oh…I was being loud, wasn't I?" Carly whispered.

"Just a little…" Freddie responded, smirking. Things fell silent and they could hear Sam and Evan mumbling.

"Well, it's not our fault if we accidentally hear them, right?" Carly said, shooting Freddie a wide eyed smile before turning toward where Sam was standing and straining to hear.

"Well, what about the kissing?" They heard Sam say.

Carly and Freddie gasped. "They kissed?!" Carly whisper-exclaimed.

"Well, we'll never know if we can't hear! SHH!" Freddie said, trying to listen in to what else was being said.

""We didn't…I-I-I don't think we ever actually…um…" They heard Evan stutter, sounding nervous, Then, after a brief pause, he said, "Oh…OH!"

"GO SAM!" Carly squealed quietly. Freddie smiled. _This is awesome. Sam and Evan are really-_

Freddie's thoughts were cut off by Sam's voice saying, "Well, lean."

Freddie's stomach dropped, while Carly peeked around a tree.

"EEP! They're kissing! Aw, Sam just got her first kiss! Yay!" She cheered, jumping up and down.

Freddie remained speechless. _Well, lean? First kiss? _He knew the secret kiss the he and Sam shared was just to get it over with and it meant nothing, but he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Or used. Or something. He wasn't sure. He just didn't like it. He glanced around the tree. Sure enough, he could see two figures pressed together, joined at the lips.

"Come on, Carls. Let's take the back way home." He mumbled, pulling her in the opposite way.

"Yeah, good idea. It'll give them some privacy." She said, smiling and letting Freddie pull her. They walked without a single word exchanged all the way to Bushwell Plaza, where Carly finally spoke up.

"So, what were we talking about before Sam and Evan...You know!" She said, giggling. "I think it was about the stars, right? I-"

She paused mid-sentence, noticing Freddie who had stopped walking and was staring at her intently.

"What are you...?" She started, confused. Freddie shook his head. He continued to stare.

After what felt like hours, he spoke up. "Carly, will you go out with me?" He asked in a low voice.

"Um, Freddie, I'm not sure. I had fun tonight, but…" Carly explained hastily, turning away.

"No, Carly! Listen." He said forcefully, grabbing her shoulders and turning him toward her. "I really like you. And you said yourself you had fun tonight. Can you please just give it a chance?" He pleaded.

Carly sighed and looked at him. He had worry and desperation spread all over his face. _Maybe this is worth a shot. _She thought.

"Umm, okay, Freddie. I'll give this a chance." She said smiling, not really sure what she had just done.

"Really?" Freddie asked, half excited and half still in shock. Carly nodded, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the lobby. _This is it!_ Freddie thought. _It worked. Carly's my girlfriend. _Somehow, when he imagined this happening (yes, he totally had fantasies about the moment he and Carly became an item), it was more…magical. In his fantasy, they kissed passionately and he was the happiest man alive. However, in reality, he was feeling a bit…down actually. And no matter how hard he tried, the words "Well, lean" seemed to echo in his head. _Why is this bothering me? I don't care about what Sam does in her free time. And who cares about a stupid kiss? Not me, I have Carly now. I bet she kisses just as good as Sam! No doubt. I'm sure-_

For like the hundredth time that night, Freddie's thoughts were cut off.

"Uhh, Freddie?" Carly said, waving a hand in front of his face, as the elevator to the Shay Apartment dinged.

"Oh, hey, sorry. I'm just a bit shocked." Freddie grumbled, walking into the elevator, with Carly following behind.

"It's okay." Carly said, as the doors shut. "Um, just to let you know, I had a really great time tonight. And, I-I'm glad that we're going out."

"Uh, yeah, Carls. That's awesome." Freddie mumbled, sounding distracted.

"Are you all right?" Carly asked, seeming concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Freddie retorted, unconvincingly.

Carly looked at him uncertainly. "'Cuz you seem a little bit-" She was cut off by Freddie who grabbed her shoulders and crushed his lips onto hers. She was shocked at first, but after a couple of seconds she wrapped her arms around his neck and he snaked his hands around her waist and pressed her up against the elevator doors. _See, Sam? Carly can kiss just as good as you. _He thought, completely lying to himself and knowing it. Kissing Carly wasn't as magical as he thought. It was actually pretty plain. He squeezed his eyes shut and kissed Carly to the best of his ability, hoping it would get better.All of a sudden, Carly pulled back and next thing he knew, Freddie was falling forward.

.

"OOF!" He grunted as he fell on top of Carly. He flipped off of her, so he was facing upwards, still unaware of what had just happened.

He sat up and saw the elevator doors shutting. _Ohhh. _He thought, getting what had happened. _Real smooth, Freddie, real smooth._

"You okay, Carly?" He asked standing up and holding out a hand to help her up.

She giggled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Great first kiss, really memorable." She teased, then focused on something behind him. "Looks like we have an audience." She added, blushing.

Freddie twirled around to see a smirking Sam and Evan on the Shay's couch holding hands and looking like they were about to bust out laughing.

_Perfect._ Freddie thought to himself, grumpily. "I bet that was quite a little show, wasn't it?" He asked, sounding a bit harsher than intended.

"Gosh, Freddork, what's up your butt? And yes, it was quite entertaining, thanks for asking." She shot back icily.

**BRRRRRRR….**

Evan reached into his pocket and pulled out his vibrating phone. He checked a text and swiftly responded to a text.

"Well, my moms here! I gotta go. Bye, Carly. Freddie." He quickly pecked Sam's lips and added "Bye, Puckett."

Sam sighed. "Bye, Mr. Smooth Guy." She joked, as he winked and he then walked out the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Carly produced one of her infamous squeals.

"OH, Sam, you and Evan are so cute! And you got your first kiss!" She squealed. Seeing the accusing look on Sam's face, she added, "Not that I was watching…"

_First kiss? _Freddie repeated in his head, his blood boiling. He was so done.

"Hey, Carly?" He called in a flirty voice. Both girls looked over at him. _Perfect_. He thought, meaning it this time. "I've got to go, _sweetie_, but I'll text you later."

Sam snorted. "Evan's gone, Fredbag, you can lay off the creepy names."

"Actually, Sam, Carly and I are really dating now." Freddie announced smugly.

Sam rolled her eyes and turned to Carly, who looked up at her best friend and nodded slowly. Sam's eyes widened and she turned to face Freddie.

"Well, congrats, dork. You did it," She stated blankly, sounding the furthest thing from congratulatory.

"Yeah, thanks, Sam." He said coldly, before turning to Carly and forcefully pressing his lips to hers. After a few seconds, he pulled away, shot Sam a look and walked towards the door, saying "Goodnight, Carly." just before slipping through it.

He got into his apartment, said a quick goodnight to his mom, showered, changed, did all toothbrush-y type things and settled into bed. For some reason, however, he couldn't sleep. He was so lost. Why did the image of Sam and Evan's silhouettes wrapped around each other appear in his head every time he closed his eyes? Why is it that whenever he tried to celebrate his and Carly's newfound relationship, he ended up wondering about a certain blonde devil? When you finally found true love, wasn't it only supposed to be about you and your special someone, not anybody else? If so, why did he need to make Sam so…aware of his and Carly's relationship? And why did he feel nothing when kissing Carly compared to what he felt kissing a certain evil demon? Was it because Sam was his first kiss? Or something else? Something Freddie was actually _afraid_ to consider? Nope. He wasn't going to do this. He had Carly. That's what this whole thing was about. Getting Carly. He and Carly were finally in a relationship and he wasn't going to throw it all away for some stupid hormonal feeling he wasn't even sure existed! It was so ludicrous. He finally got what he wanted and now half of him decides he wants something else? No, he wouldn't give in. He was going to beat the system.

**So, your thoughts? Please tell. If you review, I'll give you a virtual hug. And who doesn't love those? :]**

'**Til the door bells,**

**Ash.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Don't pelt me. Just read. More soon. I'll explain the absence if you really need me to, but I'd really rather not. It's still a sore spot. **

"Wake up!" Sam said loudly at Freddie's sleeping form,

"Sam!" Carly scolded. "You have to be gentle." She gently poked his face twice then waited for some reaction.

"Dude, seriously…WAKE UP!" Sam yelled, grabbing sleeping Freddie and shaking him violently.

"Whaa-?" Freddie mumbled incoherently, sitting up.

"Good, you're up. It's 8. Be downstairs in 10 minutes or I'll come drag you down personally. And trust me, you don't want that." The blonde threatened before walking out of his room.

Freddie sighed. "I hate how she just bosses me around. Even in my own house." He complained, running a hand through his messy bed hair.

"Well, it's Sam. And she's actually right today. You woke up late. You have to be downstairs in 10 minutes if you want to maintain your perfect attendance record. Which I know you do. So, hurry." Carly said, kissing his cheek before exiting out his door, as well.

Freddie groaned. He quickly brushed his teeth and hair and threw on some jeans, a shirt and a hoodie. He hurried downstairs, grabbed his backpack off the couch and headed out the door, motioning for Carly and Sam to follow. He could hear his mother explaining the importance of a healthy breakfast, but he ignored it.

The trio stood at the bus stop waiting for the 8:15 bus to arrive when something dawned on Freddie. _Why did it matter whether or not Sam was late! She never cared._

"Hey, Sam." He called.

"What?" Sam snapped, glaring at him.

"I just…Why do you care if we're late or not?" He asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"None of you bidness, Benson." She deadpanned, leaning against the bus stop and closing her eyes.

Freddie looked at Carly questioningly. Carly shrugged and leaned over.

"I have no idea." She whispered. "She was just very eager this morning…"

Freddie sighed. Samantha Puckett was too confusing.

Eventually, the bus came and dropped them off to school. As soon as they set foot on the campus, Sam was in a rush to get inside.

"Hey guys. I'm gonna run ahead, I'll see you guys in Mr. Lower's class." She explained in an uncharacteristically cheery voice before running into the front doors.

Freddie and Carly just stood dumbfounded. Mr. Lower's class was their first period class and Sam shared it with Carly, Freddie and Evan. Even though it had her three closest friends in it, she had never once sounded the least bit excited to be in that class. Sam was definitely up to something, but they had no clue what…

Before they could even get a word of discussion in about it, the bell rang and the two made their way into the school, silently.

When it came time to part ways in order to gather their belongings from their lockers, Freddie and Carly awkwardly stopped and faced each other. They just stared blankly at one another until finally Freddie broke into a small smile, causing Carly to do the same. He leaned over and pecked her gently on the lips.

"Bye, Carls." He said softly.

"Bye, Freddie." She replied, pushing her dark hair out of her face.

Freddie turned and walked through the typical Monday-morning hallway scene to his locker. He passed drowsy kids removing books from lockers and teachers bitterly walking to class, coffees in hand, like he always did, when something on the stairwell caught his eye.

A curly blonde something to be specific.

He backtracked a few steps and, sure enough, there was Sam on the stairwell, her back turned. She was whispering to Evan, who was leaning against the wall, facing her. She giggled, something Freddie rarely heard her do and then all of a sudden, she stopped. Freddie peeked around to get a side view and his stomach dipped. She was kissing Evan. Full-on kissing him, right there in the stairwell. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and his snaked around her back, just below where her golden ringlets ended.

It made Freddie nauseas. Why? He didn't know.

However, he did know why Sam wanted to be on time today. Rage filled his entire body and he turned away, storming to his locker. He entered the locker code forcefully and tugged on the lock. It didn't open. He tried again and again, but he was too angry to focus and it wouldn't open. Pissed, he gave up and slammed his hand against the locker, causing the girl next to him to jump and shoot him a worried glance before hurrying down the hall.

Freddie sighed. What was going on? This was not normal. Why? Why did the sight of Sam and Evan together make him so angry? It couldn't be jealousy. It just couldn't. There were only two options as to why he would be jealous, and Freddie was sure he wasn't gay and even _more_ sure that he didn't like Sam. He knew he didn't. Sam and romantic feelings just didn't go together. Like his mother and germs. Or toothpaste and citrus. Or Spencer and anything remotely flammable. It just didn't work. Still, this didn't make any sense. The one-minute warning bell rang, ripping Freddie out of his thoughts. He would worry about Sam later. He had to get to class. He stood up and tried his locker code again, making sure to be precise this time. It opened. He quickly gathered his books and sprinted down the halls, praying some miracle would happen and he wouldn't be late. Unfortunately, god sent him the exact opposite of a time saving miracle.

He sent Samantha Puckett.

She was walking down the hall in the opposite direction. "Hey Fredward!" She called, still oddly friendly. "I was grabbing my books and chizz for English." She explained, gesturing to the stack of book in her hand.

"Oh. Hey." He mumbled, not slowing down.

She grabbed his sleeve. "Pump your brakes, Benson." She said, pulling him to a halt. "What's the big rush?"

The bell rang. Freddie inwardly groaned. "THAT'S the big rush, Sam." He explained grumpily.

"Oh, that sucks. There goes the perfect Benson record. Mommy might cry." She teased lightly, smiling a bit.

"God, Sam. Do you ever lay off? What's your problem?" Freddie complained, obviously irritated. He shot her a dirty look before storming off to his class.

"My problem? What's _your_ problem? I'm actually being halfway nice today. You're the one who's acting bizarre." She countered, staring at his back.

"Nice? You weren't acting so _nice_ this morning, Sam." He snapped, turning around to face her. "I'm just tired of having to put up with you when you're a demon then also be grateful when you grace me with a tiny bit of kindness. I'm not some little puppet you can woggle around and treat like crap whenever you want, Puckett. Not anymore."

"Woggle?" Sam repeated, amusement spreading across her face.

"See? There you go again, always treating me like I don't even matter." Freddie spat.

"Wow. Is it your time of the month or something?" She asked, shocked at his little hissy fit.

"What'd that supposed to mean?" Freddie yelled.

"Well, you're creating all this drama for no reason. Last time I checked, this was Seattle, not the O.C." Sam responded, crossing her arms.

"What drama?" Freddie asked.

"This. This whole thing. I've been teasing you and bothering you for 10 years and then all of a sudden, you decide your gonna file a complaint?." Sam told him.

"Exactly. It's been going on for 10 years too long!" Freddie practically yelled.

"Oh, quit being such a diva. You said yourself you didn't mind!" Sam replied, her voice raising as well.

"When did I ever say that?" Freddie questioned, not recalling saying such a thing.

Sam flushed. "When we…that one….ugh! On the fire escape!" She exclaimed.

Freddie froze, at loss of words. Oh. Yeah. How could he forget?

"Yeah. But you probably don't even remember do you? I'm just _no big deal,_ right?" She yelled, getting really angry.

That caught Freddie's attention. "Hey, I'm not the one going around repeating 'WELL, LEAN' to every guy in school!" He bellowed back, with no concern for surrounding classes.

"It wasn't every guy, it was Evan…Wait! You spied on us?" Sam asked, flabbergasted.

"You weren't exactly subtle!" Freddie replied.

"Well, either way, why does it matter, Benson? Jealous?" She accused.

"I could ask you the same thing!" He retorted, avoiding the question.

"Well, you could. But I'm not. Not in a million years." She stated, lowering her voice.

"Well, ditto." He agreed, glaring at Sam. She glared right back.

Suddenly, Evan ran over to them, followed by Carly and Mr. Lower.

"I knew it!" Mr. Lower yelled. "I knew I heard Samantha and…Freddie? Freddie, what are you doing here? I knew you were gone, but I thought you were sick or something. What's going on?"

"Nothing." Sam seethed, not taking her eyes off Freddie. "Nothing at all."

"Yeah." Freddie scoffed. "No big deal."

That set Sam off. With a wild cry, she prepared to launch herself onto Freddie and beat the WAHOO outta him. But before she could even pounce, four hands grabbed onto her, pulling her back. She tried to get free, but the hands held her in place.

"Hey! No, Sam!" Carly cried, trying to keep her still.

"It's alright. Just calm down!" Evan added, gripping Sam tightly.

Sam stopped struggling and just stood panting and scowling at Freddie.

"Told you she'd need restraining." Mr. Lower mumbled to Carly, who just threw him a 'Really? You'd say that right now?' look.

"Like a wild animal." Freddie added.

Both Carly and Evan tightened their grip on Sam, preparing for another rampage, but nothing came.

"No." Sam said, her voice eerily calm. "I won't even bother. You can let go of me, I won't do anything. I swear."

After a moment of contemplation, Carly shrugged and looked at Evan, not sure what to do. They both stared at the blonde they were holding, unsure whether to believe her or not. Then, they realized that Carly's right hand was draped over Evan's left on the back of Sam's shirt. Blushing, they both let go as if the blonde suddenly caught fire. Surprisingly, she didn't move. She just straightened up, adjusting her shirt.

"I'm didn't mean to cause a ruckus." She stated calmly. She turned to Mr. Lower. "And don't blame Freddie for being late. It was my fault. It won't happen again."

"Good." Mr. Lower answered simply. It was no use trying to punish these kids. It took so much work and had no effect. Plus, he was lazy.

After, she picked up her books from the ground. She looked at Evan and Carly. "Thanks for having my back." Carly smiled and nodded. Evan grabbed her hand.

"Anytime." He reassured.

"Let's get back to class." Mr. Lower demanded, sternly (well, as stern as a languid oldie could be).

Sam and Evan just made their way off to class, no questions asked. Evan understood random freak-outs. He had them also, just less violent and more…paranoid. It was occasional, but he still understood.

Carly on the other hand, didn't. She waited until the couple and the teacher were out of earshot before frantically turning to Freddie. "What was that all about?" She asked desperately.

Freddie shook his head, still blown away at Sam's…**un**Samish composure. What was going on?

But like he said earlier. Sam Puckett was just way too confusing.

**Thanks for reading! Review, please, it really makes my day. And I apologize for the huge absence. If you desperately need explanation, just ask or PM me, but like I said...kinda a sore spot.**

**-Ash.**


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